Aziz Ansari is under fire for sexual misconduct after a 23-year-old photographer said the Master of None actor pressured her into sex on a date.
The anonymous woman, who asked to be called "Grace," said she decided to come forward after she saw Ansari wear the Times Up pin at the Golden Globes. Grace said that she met Ansari while she was taking photos at the Emmy Awards after-party. She was 22 at that time. She said she walked over to the actor and talked to him after he noticed that he was taking photos with a camera from the '80s.
At first, Ansari brushed her off, but they eventually bonded over his camera. They flirted (Grace admitted she was a bit tipsy already) and took photos of each other. They would catch each other's eye every now and then. They ran into each other as Grace was leaving the party, and at the comedian's suggestion, she put her number on his phone.
Grace recalled that she and Ansari exchanged flirty text messages for a week or so when she was back in New York. He eventually asked her out on a date on Sept. 25. They had dinner at Grand Banks and things escalated quickly when they ended up in his TriBeCa apartment.
In graphic detail, Grace recalled that the Parks and Recreation star forced himself on her despite her disinterest and protests. What started out as a kiss progressed into oral sex and into digital penetration. Grace said she used verbal and non-verbal cues to express her discomfort and distress, but apparently, Ansari did not notice because he badly wanted to have sex.
"Most of my discomfort was expressed in me pulling away and mumbling. I know that my hand stopped moving at some points. I stopped moving my lips and turned cold. I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn't interested. I don't think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored," Grace told Babe.
The woman said Ansari became aggressive and continued to push himself on her. Grace felt violated and eventually left in tears. The next day, Ansari texted her that he had fun meeting her. Grace, however, abhorred her encounter with the actor.
"I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz. I was not listened to and ignored. It was by far the worst experience with a man I've ever had," Grace added.
Ansari has addressed the accusation of sexual misconduct and confirmed his encounter with Grace. He admitted that, in part, he believed the sexual activity was consensual. However, he was "surprised and concerned" to learn that she felt differently. Ansari said that he took Grace's "words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said." Ansari added that he continues to support the Times Up initiative.
